Science Fiction in the Lives of Scientists and Engineers

Introduction
This study explores the influence of science fiction read
in childhood on the career choices and research trajectories
of scientists and engineers. Mosco (2004) argues
that science fiction, as modern-day myths, significantly
impacts how people think about and view the world.
Scholars of science fiction argue that science fiction is
an influential element of contemporary American society
(Disch, 1998; Malmgren, 1991; Stableford, 1987).
Specifically, one interesting facet of this issue is the role
of science fiction in influencing public understanding
of and attitudes toward science (Chaloner, 1998; Claessens,
2004). Indeed, one additional significant societal
implication of science fiction is the impact it can have
in structuring and changing individuals’ lives (Bacon-
Smith, 2000; Jenkins, 1992). Science and literature studies
examine the relationship between technoscience and
science fiction on a conceptual level and thus serve as an
important inspiration for this study (Dery, 1996; Doyle,
1997; Haraway, 2004; Hayles, 1999), but have not undertaken
empirical research to examine the impact of
science fiction on the lives of scientists and engineers.
This focus on the role of science fiction in the lives of
scientists and engineers is part of the larger theme of the
book in the life of the reader, or how literature affects
readers’ everyday lives (Andringa and Scheier, 2004;
Kaestle, 1991; Pawley, 2002; Polhemus and Henkle,
2005; Wiegand, 1998). This study seeks to determine if
and how science fiction affects technoscientific research.
Methods
Data collection included fourteen semi-structured interviews
with scientists and engineers as the NASA Goddard
Space Flight Center. Interviews were conducted
using an oral history approach (Baumgartener and Payr,
1995; Lyons and Taksa, 1982; Radway, 1991; Ritchie,
2003; Sommer and Quinlan, 2002; Thompson, 2000;
Yow, 2005). Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and
analyzed using grounded theory (Strauss and Corbin,
1998). Specifically, the researchers first independently
coded interviews line-by-line to identify specific factors
that influenced the career choices of scientists and engineers.
The researchers then compared their two lists
of factors and used them to build a list of clusters that
encompassed multiple factors.
Results: Factors Influencing the Career
Choices of Scientists and Engineers
This research identified ten predominant clusters of
factors that NASA Goddard scientists and engineers
described as influencing their career choices: the space
program, science fiction, informal education, formal education,
the job market, serendipity, personal attributes,
values, family and friends, and the physical environment.
Each of these clusters was identified in multiple
interviews, and most of the factors within each cluster
were also found in multiple interviews. The complex interconnections
among these diverse factors are depicted
in Figure 1. The space program included factors such as the space
race, from the launch of Sputnik to the first successful
Apollo Moon landing, as well as more recent events such
as the space shuttle program. Science fiction included
both ‘hard’ science fiction by authors such as Asimov,
Clarke, and Heinlein and popular forms of science fiction
such as Star Wars and Star Trek. Informal education
included factors such as museums, kits, and books.
Formal education included factors such as K-12 and
undergraduate science courses. The job market included
factors such as the availability of jobs in different areas
at different times. Serendipity included factors such as
whom the interviewees knew and how one life event led to another. Personal attributes included factors such as
gender, interest in different levels of abstraction, and financial
considerations. Values included factors such as
curiosity and altruism. Family and friends included factors
such as the career choices and influence of parents,
siblings, grandparents, and friends. The physical environment
included factors such as fascination with the
night sky and with nature parks.
Results: Themes for the Influence of
Science Fiction on Technoscience
The findings of this study demonstrate that science fiction
can influence the career choices of scientists and engineers.
Scientists and engineers explained that science
fiction, “kept me interested in science and astronomy;”
“may be a lot of people’s first experience with real science;”
“may keep you inspired;” and “continues to spark
people’s imaginations.” A total of eight major themes for
the influence of science fiction on technoscience were
identified: worldview/perspective, ideas/insights/inventions,
inspiration, initial exposure, shared culture/shared
meaning/socialization, reinforcement, excitement, and
curiosity.
Limitations
As in the case of all interview research, data may be
influenced by self-report bias. Further, inquiry about
childhood influences on professional development are
highly speculative, as it is often not possible to discern
among the many factors that influence decision-making.
Further, with such a small sample, it is not possible to
determine the likelihood of influence by science fiction
and other factors; rather, it is only possible to report on
the self-reported experiences of this small sample of scientists
and engineers.
Future Research Directions
One planned future direction is to conduct a broad survey
to test hypotheses developed as a result of the interviews.
This planned study would include a larger sample
of scientists and engineers from a broader range of organizations
and fields. Another possible future direction
is to develop educational interventions that use science
fiction to interest undergraduate students in science and
engineering, building on earlier work in this area (Berne
and Schummer, 2005; Raham, 2004). This study provides
empirical evidence that science fiction influences
the career choices and research trajectories of scientists
and engineers, and points toward ways to use such educational
programs to increase the size and diversity of
the science and engineering workforce.
Acknowledgements
This material is based upon work supported by the National
Science Foundation under Grant SES-0731819.
The authors would also like to thank the fourteen scientists
and engineers who participated in this study.
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